GAME REPORT

Galatasaray Dodge A Bullet In Polkowice

Isil Alben was one of three players to top-score for Galatasaray with eight points

For the second consecutive week, Galatasaray squeezed out a narrow win in EuroLeague Women Group C to remain unbeaten after escaping from CCC Polkowice with a 50-48 success

The Turkish visitors did everything they could to try and throw the game away during the closing stages; almost squandering what had looked like an unassailable 48-38 lead during the last four minutes.

As Gala hit a drought and got careless at the worst possible time, Polkowice almost grabbed the moment with both hands.

Having looked dead and buried, they were fantastic in the closing stages and had a chance to either win from three-point range or at the very least, force overtime.

They should have completed one of those two missions but Belinda Snell couldn't convert with a jump-shot and then Magdalena Leciejewska missed a makeable put-back from the offensive rebound.

As a relieved Ozge Yavaz clutched the ball in her hands as the buzzer sounded, Galatasaray celebrated a third successive victory.

There was even more to cheer about with Lindsay Whalen making a belated debut for the Istanbul club whilst the defence which has been so important to date, again proving to be a major factor.

Ultimately some terrible shooting proved to be costly for the hosts who had pretty much controlled the glass.

Laia Palau had a mixed night with eight points and eight assists but could barely make a shot. That was the story of the evening for the guests with not one Galatasaray player reaching double-digits.

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COACH QUOTES

Quotes CCC Polkowice vs. Galatasaray

Galatasaray coach Ekrem Memnu

"We knew it would be a tough game and it was so. We were well prepared for this fight and we controlled most of the game. In the end we made some mistakes and there was a lot of emotion. I'm happy that we won, because we have problems with injuries. We have a balance of 3:0, and this is a very good starting point before the next matches. I would like to congratulate the CCC for the acute struggle throughout the match.

CCC Polkowice coach Jacek Winnicki

"I was hoping to win this game. We were very close, but did not succeed. The final outcome was decided primarily by defence. We focused on Anna Wauters and Sancho Lyttle. It was risky, but it worked because we had more rebounds, and gained more points in the paint. Wauters had a chance to win this match, but in the end the ball did not fall into the basket. That's sport. It's hard. We must continue to work to become an even better team. "

Galatasaray player Sazyie Ivegin"At this level, every game is difficult and so it was today. It was critical defence, as evidenced by the low score. We were able to win and we are very happy. Polkowice is a strong team, so greater is the joy of winning".

CCC player Valeriya Musina"A pity that we could not win today. Galatasaray is a very strong team, but today we had a chance. In the end, unfortunately we could not get to the basket. It is always hard to lose games at home. We need to focus on preparing for the next matches. I hope that in Istanbul we will be able to enjoy a win"